Have worked out how to - 1) rename /opt/lampp/var/mysql as mysqlbk- 2) create a symbolic link placed in /opt/lampp/var called "mysql" which links to another directory somewhere else.

This works... but only if you do # chown -R nobody [...]/mysql on the new directory in question (i.e. where you want your data files kept).

So far so good... took me a bit of sweat to find out that mysqld under xampp is running in a process owned by "nobody".BUT... in fact I want my database files to be kept on a Truecrypt volume... inevitably when this runs it runs in *somebody*'s Truecrypt process... so in fact even root finds it impossible to change the ownership of the directories and files in it to "nobody".

Consequently any attempt to use a symbolic link pointing to a directory in such a mounted Truecrypt volume means that mysql won't start.

Surely running a process like mysqld in a process owned by "nobody" is pretty bad security practice anyway !? Does anyone know how you go about running it in a "proper" process?

For that matter does anyone know how to configure xampp-mysql so you don't have to use a workaround symbolic link arrangement as described above? I.e. how exactly do you change the DATADIR??? It certainly isn't by changing stuff in \opt\lampp\etc\my.cnf, as I have found out this afternoon after several frustrating hours!